Solomon's Quarries is a 5 acre underground meleke
limestone quarry that runs the length of five city blocks
under the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.
It was carved over a period of several thousand years.
The quarry entrance is east of the Damascus Gate.
It was concealed during the Ottoman Empire
by Suleiman in 1540 for security reasons
and was not rediscovered until 1854
when James Barclay found it and snuck in one night.
It became known as Zedekiah's Cave because 2 Kings 25
and Jeremiah 52 tell how Zedekiah
fled the city in 586 even though the Babylonian army
encircled the city for 24 months.
There is reported to be a tunnel
from the royal palace of David
connecting under Temple Mount on Mount Moriah.
Zedekiah's Cave was a small natural cave
until the Second Temple Period
when it was enlarged into a
huge subterranean stone quarry
extending under the houses of the Old City.
This quarry supplied the stone
for many magnificent buildings in Jerusalem.
According to common belief,
it was used to construct the First Temple.
Hence the nickname, "King Solomon's Quarries."
You can see the lines of the rock blocks
removed from the underground quarry.
Yossi offers a flute concert just for us.
On both sides of the path are huge
supporting columns dug out of the quarried rock.
These columns were left by the stone cutters
to support the rock ceiling,
which measures 300 by 600 feet
and weighs approximately 1/2 million tons.
Such beautiful coloring in the rock walls.
Many many slaves worked in these mines
to bring out the limestone.
No matter what legend or story is accurate-
it is easy to see that this quarry was a significant
piece of the building of ancient Jerusalem.
Many many slaves worked in these mines
to bring out the limestone.
No matter what legend or story is accurate-
it is easy to see that this quarry was a significant
piece of the building of ancient Jerusalem.
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